Memiors of a Mane Stylist: The Ponyville diaries
by FireHoof
Summary: The Pirvate Diary of Ponyville's mane stylist from long ago, giving insight into the humourous and chaotic lives the town's citizen's lead. (Generation 3 story)
1. Chapter 1

_A beautician's woes_

_These are excerpts from a private diary, which belonged to a mare from old Ponyville from seven centuries past. Normally, it would be bad manners to reprint a lady's deeply personal thoughts for all the world to see. But this diary belonged to a pony who was in a position to gather all the gossip and secrets in old Ponyville – that of the town hair stylist. Please note in translating this work out of Middle Equestrian, I had to change some narrative terms, and kind of altered the writing style a bit, almost making it sound like my own. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my translation, though I can't say the original author had a good time writing it..._

_Tornado Firehooves_

_Dream Castle Historian_

Have you ever had something go totally wrong, diary? Something that just seems to turn a perfect day into a disaster? Well, this kind of thing happens to me all the time, and it was today, dearest diary, that was a perfect example of just how bad these days can get...

"Marvelous, simply marvelous work on my splendid mane!" a mare exclaimed in delight. "Daffeydazey, you've done it again!"

Another satisfied customer trotted out of the shop, her mane done up in a style she's delighted with, and a feeling she's been properly pampered and made to feel special. As another mare came trotting in through my door, I proudly reflected on how my special brand of delicate love and care can make a little worry and stress melt away like butter on a hot stove. It is my special talent, after all... making sure the earth ponies of this town are feelin' good, feelin' good!

Oh my stars, I'm getting way ahead of myself! My name's Daffey, and I'm the chief mane stylist and beautician of Ponyville. I run The Petal Parlor, a sweet little beauty salon that puts together the hottest styles in the land! As a white mare with a yellow and pink mane, I might not look like much myself... but the ponies all love my stylin' so much, I even get the unicorns and Pegasi flyin' into this place!

"Hello, Daffey Darling!" a blue mare with a rainbow mane greeted me, the bell above my door ringing as she trotted into my shop. "I'm here for the usual, think you can fit me in, darling?"

"Sure, Rainbow Dash!" I called from one of the tables, as I swept away the blonde, pink, and purple clippings left from cutting Sunny Daze's mane. "Just let me take care of my next customer here, and I'll be right with you."

"Oh, take your time, darling." My many-colored-maned friend laughed, took a seat, and grabbed a magazine. "I don't have to be back at the dress shop for a few hours, so I have plenty of time to kill."

I merely nodded, and went back to sweeping up the clippings. Ever since I was a little filly, I knew that being a beautician was my special calling. That's what that blossoming flower on my flank represents – the beauty I can craft from an uncut and unwashed mane – 'tis my art to snip and cull away at a pony's pastel locks, my true passion! Only by diving into a mare's hair with shears and comb in hoof, can I feel truly feel alive!

I apprenticed under the town's previous beautician as a teenager, and took over The Petal Parlor when she retired. I may not be the prettiest pony myself (In fact, I really don't think I'm pretty at all) but I can give all my friends the cutest haircuts Ponyville has ever seen!

On one side of the salon, Sweetberry and Sparkleworks were sitting under two hairdryers with their manes up in curlers, waiting for their perms to get done. In the back, my assistant Amberlocks was washing Razzaroo's hair, getting her mane ready for the next big birthday party she's planning. She's such a good little assistant, that Amberlocks. She told me she wants to open her own shop in Unicornia, The Celebration Salon, after I've taught her all I know.

"Hey boss, I finished the shampoo!" my pink apprentice with the orange mane called up. "Razz wants conditioner number six in her mane, should I give it to her?"

"No, don't use that one!" I yelled back, getting the chair in front of me ready for it's next occupant. "Razz has a mane that easily tangles, use number eight on that scruffy mess!"

"Awww, you're no fun, Daffey!" Razzaroo snorted back to me, annoyed. "I wanted the lilac-scented one, yes yes yes!"

"That one'll make your mane an even bigger mess! Oh no no no!" Turning back, I spun the pink barber chair around to face a mirror, and looked over at the ponies seated in the chairs nearby. "Next!"

"All right Daffey!" a green mare with a candy cutie mark said, laughing. "I think it's my turn to go next!"

"A-all right...if you say so, Minty." I replied nervously, as the green pony hopped into the seat. As I began to comb her mane over, I tried to push my worries out of my head. Sure, Minty may be the klutziest Pony in Ponyville, but that doesn't mean she's going to mess up the shop again like the last time I tried to cut her mane, right? "What'll it be this time, Mints? The usual?"

"Nah, give me a ponytail, with some ribbons this time." She giggled again. "Make 'em green, of course!"

"You got it, Minty." I clapped my hooves together. "Snippy, bring me my shears, please."

"On it, chief!" The little pink Breezie zoomed up, bringing my scissors with her. "You want the electirc razor, too?"

"Nah, Minty's mane doesn't call for it," I tell her, throwing a cloth over Minty to keep the hair off of her shiny coat. "Now, what have you been doing, Mints?"

"Oh, you know… burning cookies in Pinkie Pie's kitchen here, knocking all the books off the shelves in Storybelle's library there," she replied with a nervous laugh, as I started to trim her mane. "Just my usual silly mess-ups, ya know?"

"Oh Minty." I sighed, pushing my glasses back up my muzzle as they began to slide down. "Do you always have to be so klutzy?"

"Oh, come on now, I'm not really that bad," She added defensively, rambling as usual. "Well, I mean I'm not all that bad, as least compared to other ponies. I mean, don't we all have our goofy moments? I mean sure, my foul-ups might be the foulest of the foul. But my errors are the erroriest and my mistakes aren't the mistakiest. I mean, look at you whenever you don't have your glasses on, Daffey. You become the clumsiest, most-"

"Oh, she's nothing compared to you, darling," Rainbow Dash butted in, as she stepped up to my shop's Twist and Twirl machine. "Or have you forgotten how you 'helped' me by dyeing my favorite gown green."

"Hey, I think it looks prettier!" The green pony snorted indignantly. "Besides, that rainbow dress was clashing with your rainbow... well, everything else."

"Wow, what a comeback, darling." The blue earth pony sighed, as her mane was twisted up into the machine, and Amberlocks went to work styling Dash's new curls. "Tell me darling, how do you put up with the awful and terrible burden of being Minty?"

"Awww, you're just jealous, Dash," Minty replied with her usual giggle. "And it's me who should be jealous of a wonderful pony like you. Can't you see I'm simply green with envy?"

The four of us burst out laughing at that – none of those jabs had been serious, of course. I've never seen a pony get mad at another pony in this town, even the males manage to control their temper around here (except that silly hubby of Fiesta's, I really wish he'd keep his nosy snout to himsel- ahem, anyway...)

And it was at this point, that all the trouble began.

Minty began flailing her hooves around as she laughed, and knocked my glasses off my face. "Whoa-oa-ooa!" It sent me stumbling backward... right into the button for the twist and twirl machine.

"Rainbow Dash, Look out!" Amberlocks shrieked, quickly diving out of the way. "Or you'll get one bad hair day!"

"Darling, what are you-" Running at full power, the machine suddenly sucked her mane up into it's innards, picking the poor mare up off the ground, and spinning her through the air like a helicopter.

"A-i-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" I heard Rainbow Dash wail, as her mane tore free, and sent her flying into the unoccupied hair dryers. The machines began to sizzle as Dash's skull connected with the wiring, and our poor dressmaker suddenly lit up, as the voltage shot and sparked through her body.

"Ahhhhhhh" -zap!- "Aieeeeeeee!" -zot!- "Agahhhhhhhhh!"

"Whoah, cool!" Spakleworks exclaimed, as she and Sweetberry jumped out from under the dryers. "She's all lit up like one of Sunny's video games!"

"Oh my stars!" I shrieked, slipping my glasses back onto my face. "Rainbow Dash, are you all right?"

"Oh, fine, fine... just fine darling." The blue pony pulled herself out of the frayed electrical mess, her torn and haggard mane sticking out in every direction, and her eyes rolling around in her head like billiard balls. "I just have one question, darling..." *cough* -zap!- Her mouth sparked like a lighter. "Did someone get the number of that carriage that ran me over?"

Rainbow Dash then collapsed into a heap. Panic spread though the salon, as we all crowded around poor Dashie, to make sure she was all right. Minty hopped out of the barber's chair with her half-cut mane, and once she saw Rainbow was going to be fine, slowly backed her way out the door.

"Ohhh, hey, look at the time... I have a batch of green shamrock juice to mix up. " The green mare whinnied nervously, before making a break out the door. "Sorry Daffey, I'll have to finish my mane cut later bye seeya!"

As Minty galloped her way out the door, a white mare with a magnifying glass cutie mark came trotting in after her.

"Allo, Miss Daffeydazey! I'm 'ere for my usual perm and curler job!" Puzzlemint exclaimed as she came through the door. "Blimey, was that Minty who just went gallopin' outta 'ere? An' why does somethin' in 'ere smell like really badly charred meat?"

And that, dear diary, was how things went so terribly, terribly wrong today...

Oy, Poor Rainbow Dash... I hope there was no permanent damage. Stay turned, dear readers, for more Petal Parlor mayhem. Next up, Kimono's bad mane day!


	2. Chapter 2

_Kimono's bad Mane Day_

*Sigh* Diary, you know how I said things couldn't possibly get any worse after yesterday? Whelp I gotta say today, things just got a whole lot more worse.

Following the crazy commotion in the Petal Parlor yesterday, I had a day here now to clean up the mess, and try to get this place back into something resembling working order. Sparkleworks had already finished repairs on the hair dryers and Twist and Twirl machine, and Toola Roola has repainted my walls. I had decided to give Amberlocks and Snippety Snap the day off, as everybody had gotten their mane's done yesterday for the upcoming cherry blossom festival in Ponyville, and I didn't expect many customers. I was just tidying up the shelves, dear diary, when I heard a soft hoof knock at the door.

"Ah-ah, come in, please." I called out, and the door suddenly burst open with a gust of wind. The autumn leaves swirled though my salon, spinning about in a spiraling swirl of colors, before blowing out the open window behind me. It was at that point, that I knew I had a very special visitor, indeed.

"Hello, Daffeydazey." A tall, pinkish purple mare greeted me, as she trotted into my shop. Her luxuriant purple mane swung to and fro as she walked, and the twin paper lantern on her cutie mark actually seemed to glow. "My friends and I have come to get our manes done, and we were wondering if you had the time to fit us into your schedule.

"Of course, Kimono! There's always time for the wisest pony in the land." I bowed respectfully to the oriental pony, gesturing towards the three open beauty chairs. "Please, won't you and your friends come in, and have a seat?"

Of course Kimono would be coming on the day before a festival , I realized, It was the one day she could actually enter the salon, and relax in peace. All of this towns other, um, 'eccentric' inhabitants were busy preparing for their next party. Kimono is one of the few of our friends with any amount of common sense in Ponyville, one of the reasons she chooses to live in her furnished cave outside of town. There is nothing this mare doesn't know, as all knowledge of Ponyville and the land beyond comes to her on the four winds. The winds of Ponyville seem to respond to this mystical mare's moods, and right now a serene and clam breeze blew in from outside.

In behind her trotted two other oriental ponies I know only a little... Juniper Jade, a purple watercolor artist with a pink mane, whose paintings of natural setting rival Toola Roola's in popularity here in Ponyville. And Jade Garden, a white mare with a rainbow mane, who kept the beautiful Zen gardens near Kimono's home. The three oriental ponies bowed to me respectfully, then took their seats in the waiting beauty chairs.

"Most honorable Daffeydazey, we have come here today, because we would like for you to-" Juniper started.

"-give us each a hooficure and perm, so that we may look our best for the celebration tomorrow." Garden finished, as both ponies nodded at their joined sentence.

"I would be happy to, my dears." I replied, sliding my glasses up on my muzzle. "The same for you Kimono?"

"Neigh, my good friend." The wisest of ponies replies. "I would like my mane up in buns, just like last year." She tells me. "But I would care for that hooficure like my other two dear friends here are getting."

Smiling at the oriental pony's flowery speech, I retrieved my metal file, and went to work on Juniper's front hooves. "So, any of you hear about what happened here yesterday?"

"We heard that Minty fouled things up again-" Juniper Started.

"-and made a mess of both your establishment, and poor Rainbow Dash." Garden finished.

"Oh, now that's not really fair, girls." I respond, shifting to Juniper's back hooves. "I mean, the girl does try her best, really she does."

"So much so, that she caused your salon damage?" Garden asked.

"Indeed, that doesn't sound very much like 'trying her best' to me." Juniper answered.

"Now stop that, you two!" Kimono chided them, as I began filing away at Garden's hooves, and readied the polish and gloss to be applied. "You know very well that Minty and the other ponies in this town didn't have the disciplined upbringing that we did!"

"That's true." Garden replied. "The three of us had the strictest of parents, and strict discipline was the key to honor."

"No talking, no making loud noises, no playing in the house." Juniper sighed in agreement. "It was hard to tell who was worse, Kimono's mom, or ours."

"But they always meant well, my honorable friend, just as Minty does." Kimono added. "And if it weren't for their firm discipline, the three of us might not have turned out as the wonderful ponies we are today."

"So, what do you predict for our dear little Minty, Kimono?" I ask her, as I finished up filing her hooves. "What does the all-seeing wind tell you is in store for our dear green friend?"

"My gift does not work that way Daffey." She told me, trotting over to the sink in the back so I could shampoo her mane. "If you want a vision of the future, you'd be better off asking Pinkie Pie."

After finishing with the threes' hooves, I went to work on their manes, one by one. After cutting and washing Kimono's two friend's manes, I finally started work on the mare herself. This beautiful purple head of hair is a miracle- some of my greatest stylist masterpieces have been crafted out of this smooth and silky mane, as Kimono has come in here for different cuts over the years. Whenever I need to work on the oriental pony's hair. I enter an almost euphoric state. So many lovely locks to brush and cut, so many ribbons and tassels to put in! Ohhhhhhhhh...

*Ahem* yes, well... anyway. As I was putting the finishing touches on her mane cut, Kimono turned back to me.

"Most honorable Daffey, Before you put my mane up into the buns... I would care to have a slightly stronger shampoo, to make my mane stick out a bit more for the cherry blossom festival tomorrow."

"Why of course, Kimono." I replied, gesturing over towards the sinks in the back. "Please, go on back and relax, I'll be with you in a moment."

As she rested her head on the back of the sink, I put Juniper and Garden under the newly repaired hairdryers, and grabbed the extra strength shampoo/conditioner mix off the shelf. Trotting back towards the sink, I noticed a golden band with many trinkets on it around the oriental pony's hoof.

"Oh my, what a lovely charm bracelet!" I exclaim, as I turn the water on and begin to moisten her mane. "Did you get that as a gift?"

"Oh yes, from my beloved Yukata!" The wise pony exclaimed, her smile positively beaming, as a pleasant warm wind blew outside. "You remember him, do you not, Daffey?"

"Yes indeedy!" I reply, giving her a first rinse. "He's the cute cerulean stallion who Waterfire introduced you to, Right?"

"Yes, he's the one. He has been courting me for this entire year past." Her cheeks blushed a deep red. "In fact, I wasn't going to say anything yet Daffey, but... he proposed to me, Daffey! Right at this years Spring Fancy Parade!"

"W-why that's incredible, Kimono!" I replied enthusiastically, nearly dropping the shampoo in surprise. "Congratulations! Are the two of you shooting for a summer wedding?"

"Oh, we're thinking about it, believe me. " Kimono responded, as I applied the shampoo. "That's why I want my mane to look extra shiny for him at the festival tomorrow!"

"Well then, we'll have to make sure you look extra special for him, won't we?" I giggled, working the lather through her mane with my hooves. But as the shampoo began to bubble and sud up, I noticed both it and her mane turning a very odd shade. "What in the world?"

"What is it?" Kimono asked, as she looked up at me. "Daffeydazey, is something wrong?"

"MISS DAFFEY!" It was at that moment, that Amberlocks came galloping through the door of the salon in a panic, nearly out of breath. "Miss Daffey, there's something I have to tell you!"

"Whoah, slow down, Amber!" I told her calmly, trying not to let her excite me or the three customers. "What in the world brings you here on your day off?"

"Miss Kimono, I came to warn you, don't use the extra strength shampoo!" The gasping mare told me. "I was just at the Cotton Candy Cafe, and Minty admitted to me she knocked the bottle over when she was in here the other day, and spilled it down the drain!" My eyes go wide in horror, as I dreaded what was going to come out of her mouth next. "She didn't know what was in the bottle- cause, you know, you take all the labels off all your bottles, so only we know what's in them- so she replaced the stuff inside with some of her green mane dye!"

"Uh oh..." My blood suddenly beegan to run cold, and my face turned even paler than my coat already is.

"Green?!" Kimono gasps in horror, her own eyes going wide. "Daffey, rise this stuff out of my mane, at once!"

I rush to comply, rinsing the gooey suds out of her hair as fast as I can... but by the time I get it all out, I can already see it's too late.

That beautiful purple mane, that gorgeous work of art that was the envy of every mare in Ponyville, was now a sickly green and tangled mess, that made a bird's nest look like a masterpiece.

"Aieeeeyahhhhhhhh!" Kimono screamed in horror, throwing her hooves up in shock. As if fate had not already been cruel enough to the wisest pony in the land, her lovely engagement charm went flying off her hoof, sailing across the room...

.. and disappeared down the large open floor drain in the center of the parlor, never to be seen again.

It was at that point, that Kimono's eye began to twitch. "I... that... eck... ungh..."

I had never seen kind and gentle Kimono angry before, I didn't even know she was capable of anger before that moment. But I must say it's kind of like watching a ficrecracker going off in the evening summer sky... if that firecracker were right in front of your face, that is.

"MMMMMIIIIIIINNNNNNTTTTTTTTYYYYYYYYYYY!" As a loud, terrifying scream and a forceful wind with the might of a hurricane emanated from my beauty shop, I suddenly felt very sorry for a certain green mare in Ponyville...


	3. Chapter 3

The Sunny Summer Daze

Hello again, Diary. Today was my day off, so I thought I might go to the beach to enjoy the fresh sea air and warm sunshine. And after what happened the other day with Kimono, I am totally on the verge of a nervous breakdown. So Amberlocks and Snippy are running the parlor, so I can just relax with a fun day of sun and surf.

Trotting down to the shoreline of the Ponyville sea, I stopped by the Story Loft to pick up a book I hadn't read yet- Daring Do and the Griffin's goblet, some old book from some adventure series Storybelle recommended to me. I always love reading these older books- like the fairy tales about those two alicorn Princess sisters that were supposed to raise the sun and moon a long time ago. Those stories are so silly- they even have a Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie that don't act like the real ones at all!

Making my way down to the beach, I noticed several ponies playing along the shoreline, building sandcastles and swimming in the clear blue water. Several mares and fillies waved at me, as I trotted down to the sandy coast. Opening my umbrella, I pull my book and beach blanket out of my bag, and lie back in the shade to read.

"Hey dudes, look!" A stallion's voice called out, pointing over in my direction. "Check out that major hottie over there!"

As he and his two friends galloped down the beach towards me, my cheeks turned a deep red, and I hid my face behind my book. Oh dear, I had always wanted to attract a boy's attention, but not like this! What had I done to catch their notice? What was I going to do?!

It was then to my surprise, that the three stallions stopped right in front of me, and looked and pointed out at the ocean. It was the young mare out there hopping around on the surfboard that had caught their attention, not the mature attractive mare lying right behind them, that they were totally ignoring. Grrr...

"Woohoo, Sunny! Ride dem waves!" One of the stallions called out. "You go girl!"

"Man, she is soooo awesome!" His friend agreed. "Nobody in Ponyville can surf like that Sun-ay!"

Of course, Sunny Daze. Ponyville's resident tramp- er, surfing and sporty tomboy. I can see her out there, doing handstands and summersaults on her surfboard. The showoff mare was cresting the tops of the white capped waves as she performed tricks for her captivated male audience. Oh diary, with that red and white striped bikini and rainbow-colored mane, how can any mare compete with the incredbile white pony with the sun cutie mark?

"Hello boys, glad to see you all here!" Sunny announced, as she road her board right up onto the sandy beach. Two of the stallions instantly stepped forward, each taking one of her hooves, and walking off the board. "I do so love to see you boys turn out to watch me surf!"

"Showing off your stuff again, huh Sunny?" I grumbled in annoyance, not looking up from my book.

"Oh, hey Daff! What's up?" Sitting down, she looked back at the stallions, and batted her long eyelashes. "Excuse me, boys? Would the three of you mind going over to Cotton Candy's cafe, and picking me up a lemonade? First one who gets back here can share my straw while I sip."

At the prospect of sharing fluids with the pretty young mare, the three boys galloped on down the beach towards the cafe, while Sunny Daze turned to talk to me.

"So, how's the hair business, babe?" She asked, adjusting her shades with her hoof. "I take it your work is a 'cut' above the average?"

"Ha ha, funny." I grumbled, rolling my eyes. "I just bet the surfing the waves has it's ups and downs, too."

"HA! Good one!" She laughed, slapping her hoof against the sand. "You're always a barrel of laughs, Daffy!"

I had to struggle to keep my mouth shut as that last remark, coming out of the mouth of the most athletic mare in Ponyville. Sunny Daze has been the town's attention grabber every since we were all little fillies. Somersaulting and cartwheeling everywhere, chugging lemonade and burping like a rude stallion. And her surfing... nobody can ride a board like that girl can, zipping back and forth across the water like she had been born to ride. Some ponies think she has some Pegasus blood in her the way she flies across the white caps.

But that part is at least tolerable. What infuriates the mares that come into my shop is the way every colt and stallion that comes to the beach literally crawls at this pony's side, catering to her every little whim, and totally ignoring every other mare and filly along the beach. This has caused much angry gossip around the hair dryers- including the suggestion that she's warmed the bed of every unattached stallion in Ponyville.

Not to mention that tangled, unruly mess of a mane is the hardest bunch of clumps and knots my scissors have ever had to cut through. And every time I wash her hair, the beach sand she's collected up there always clogs up my sink! Ohhhh, how I dread her coming into my salon!

"Hey, you should come out surfing with me sometime with me surfing sometime, Daff!" She grins, trying to strike up a conversation with me. "Catch some rays, get the dudes lookin' at ya. Sure beats just layin' hear on your flank all the time."

"Oh, but I'm sure you are used to being on your back a lot." I mutter under my breath. "I've heard you do your best work there."

"What was that, babe?" The mare asked, cocking an eyebrow at me.

"Oh, it was nothing." I replied cheerfully, looking up from my book. "Oh, it looks like your boy toys are back with your lemonade."

"Yeah, I'd better get going!" She giggled, standing up as the three stallions raced towards her, each carrying a lemonade in their saddle cup holders. "Talk to ya later, Daff!"

The little tramp-er. surfer girl then took off towards her entourage, leaving a whole beach of scowling and angry mares in her wake.

"Ohhh, of all the-" I finally snapped in frustration, letting my glasses fall off my face, and down onto the strap around my neck. That mare has totally ruined the day here on the beach for me! With a sigh, I slammed my book shut, gathered my stuff, and trotted up the beach towards the surf shop.

I just can't believe that Sunny! Every male just seems to totally fall all over her, and she gets all the attention, while the rest of us are left with the scraps! And the worst part of it, diary? She is sooo nice about it! She always has a smile and something nice to say, and is completely oblivious to how her attention grabbing is affecting the rest of us! Oy, the only girl who can even compete for a few boys with Sunny is her best bud Sparkleworks, which explains why those two are always hanging out together. I just wish the rest of us stood a chance against that surfer chick, diary!

It's not long before I came to the Wonder Waves Surf Shop- a beach hut style shack with a yellow straw roof, and pink and yellow painted bamboo walls. The bell rang as I trotted through the door, and the two mares behind the counter look up as I came inside.

"Yo, Daffeydazey! What's up?" Sapphire Shores, the pink mare with the Blue and white mane, greeted me. "We didn't expect to see you here!"

"Yeah, what brings you to the surf shop?" Beach Belle, the blue mare with the red and yellow mane, asked.

"Hey girls, just enjoy my day off on the beach, I replied with a sigh, trotting my way up to the counter. "Or at least I was, until I ran into our dear, sweet Sunny D.!"

"Awww, what happened?" The other mare pulled a stool up for me. "Take a seat and tell us all about it, girlfriend!"

The two mare who ran of the Wonder Waves Surf Shop, Sapphire Shores and Beach Bell are Ponyville's two queens of the sun and surf- after sunny, of course. Sapphire is supposed to be descended from a long line of pop singer ponies, but she's much better at stringing seashells together to make jewelry, a talent her yellow sea shell cutie mark illustrates. Beach Belle simply blooms when it comes to getting the right beach outfits and accessories for a mare- a sort of beachside counterpart to our own dear Rainbow Dash. The two lend a sympathetic ear to my plight, as I tell them my sad story.

"Staling all the guys, and leaving none for us? Girlfriend, that is not cool at all." Beach Belle snorted indignantly. "We should go and teach that beach bimbo a lesson."

"Now, Beachy..." Sapphire warned, trying to calm her friend. "Sunny is our boss, she does own this place, after all. Besides, she has absolutely no idea how much she's hurting other ponies."

"Oh, I'm thinking of a different kind of revenge." The mare with the white flower cutie mark replied. "Daffey, do you think you could do our manes up, right here in the shop?"

"Yes, I believe so." I reply, putting my glasses back on my face. "But why-?"

"And Sapphire, you think you can pick out a few cute seashell necklaces for us to wear?" The mare asked, grinning.

"Beach Belle. what are you planning?" Sapphire inquired, getting up from her stool from behind the counter nervously.

"Girls, it's makeover time!" The mare ran over to one of the butterfly spinner racks, pulling off one of the bikini tops, and ripping the price tag off of it. "We're gonna show little miss Sunnay Daze that we're just as desirable as she is!"

What followed dear Diary, was a flurry of mane styling and hairspray, of trying on seashell necklaces and applying hoof gloss. Over the course of an hour we were all three transformed from plain old ordinary mares, to beautiful extraordinary mares. It's not often I get to doll myself up a bit instead of working on others, so it actually feels kind of... nice, for a change.

"Hey, Sapphire! Don't pull that so tight!" I protested, as she and Beach Belle tied up the strings on either side of my bikini bottom. "I think you're cutting off the circulation to my back legs!"

"Sorry Daffey, but ya gotta show some flank if ya wanna catch the boy's eye!" She replied with a giggle, as she tied on my top. "Now, let's see how we look!"

The three of us struck a pose in front of the mirror, and found we looked like two awesome beach beauties... and one hot babe who looked like a nerd in granny glasses. With a heavy sigh, I realized this was never going to work.

"Awww, don't lose hope Daffey!" Sapphire encouraged me. "Just lose the glasses, and you'll be fine!"

"A-are you sure, girls?" I ask, taking off my spectacles, and leaving them on the counter. "I-I really can't see anything without those things."

"You'll be fine, Daffey, don't worry." Beach Belle tossed her mane, and held her head high. "Look out, boys! These three beach beauties are gonna rock your world!"

She trotted out the door, immediately followed by Sapphire Shores. I tried to emulate their walk, only to smack my face into the closing door my blurry vision hadn't seen.

"Ouch!"

I'll continue my story about what happened next later, dear diary, but right now I'm hungry and need to go get some lunch. Bye bye! ^^


	4. Chapter 4

Hi again, Diary! Just got back from lunch! Wow, that sweet strawberry cake of Sweetberry's was so yummy! Now, where was I? Oh yeah, that's right!

After two hours under hot lights and at the makeup tables, the three of us had undergone a transformation that had made us look like totally different ponies. There we were... Beach Belle was all decked out in a blue polka dotted bikini, Sapphire Shores in her purple one piece with ruffles at her flanks, and my white bikini with (what else?) a daisy print pattern all over it. Our manes shined with the glow of the conditioners I had used, and our lips glittered with the sparkle of Beach Belle's lip gloss. Personally diary, I thought we were really pretty, but I really didn't believe we'd get the boys' attention. But my two friends kept insisting I was just being a downer.

"Awww, don't be so negative, Daffey!" Beach Belle snorted at me, trying to get me to mellow out and stop worrying. "We'll have those stallions eating right out of our hooves!"

So after our really big makeovers, the three of us trotted our way down to the beach. Three of the stallions were all surrounding Sunny Daze, each trying to take turns fanning her with big palm leaves, or bring her something tasty to drink. Ready to rock the beach mare's world, Sapphire Shores finally spoke up.

"Hello there, boys!" the flirty mare called out teasingly, waving a hoof at the stallions. "Wanna spend some time with some real mares?"

Personally, I thought this wasn't going to work, diary. I thought they would give us some odd looks, then go back to worshipping the ground their mistress trotted upon. But when those boys took one look at us, they suddenly forgot all about the resident beach babe, and came galloping over to where we stood.

"Hey hey hey there, little fillies!" Seaspray, a blue stallion with a purple mane and starfish cutie mark, greeted us. "Looks like you could use some company over here!"

"Want us to get you anything, girls?" Bay Breeze, a white pony with a sunflower on his flank, and the most gorgeous sea of yellow and blue hair I've ever seen on his head, continued. "Maybe some lemoade? Or how about some ice cream?"

"How come we've never seen you babes here before?" Beachcomber, the all studly stallion who was all pink, joked. "You hotties new to Ponyville?"

Before we knew it, the three guys had spread a large beach blanket, and stuck a large umbrella in the sand to shade us from the sunshine. The three of us soon found ourselves enjoying the company of the three cutest boys on the beach, laughing and flirting with our new 'friends'.

"So... Beachcomber, is it?" Sapphire Shores asked, as she and the stallion both licked the ice cream cone he had brought her. "I hear you're a lifeguard at Ponyville lake, that's so cool!"

"Yep, if there's some pony that is going under, I'm your stallion!" The boy told her with a laugh. "Ever since I was a foal, I've taken to water like a seapony!"

"Ohhh, you have such strong hooves, Bay Breeze!" Beach Belle sighed, as the stallion massaged her back. "I've never felt you so relaxed!"

"Eh, I know a thing or two about a pony's muscles." He replied with a grin. "I am the lake's best swimming instructor, after all."

"Gee Seaspray, It's so awesome you and your friends decided to hang out with us." I told the stallion sitting beside me, trying to act cool.

"Hey, we always like makin' new friends on the beach." He replied, smiling. "There are so many interesting ponies out here, am I right?"

He was so awesome, diary! I felt like a fool trying to talk to him, though. And let me tell you, my impaired vision certainly wasn't doing any favors. When I reached for my lemonade sitting nearby, I ended up feeling a sharp pain in my hoof. After I had shook the crab that had pinched me loose, I bumped my head into the umbrella, knocking it over. Ohhh, curse me not having my glasses on me! I felt like a clumsy newborn foal stumbling around in the dark. But at least Seaspray is was still being nice to me... shows how cool of a stallion he really is!

But even as the three of us were enjoying ourselves, I just happened to notice another mare sitting nearby, who didn't look so happy. Sunny was relaxing under her own beach blanket, an uncertain look on her face. She had rarely not been the center of attention on the beach, diary, and I really don't think she quite knew how to handle it. Part of her wanted to came over and say something to us, but she kept stopping herself, I think cause she didn't want to hurt her friends' feelings.

Sunny picked up one of the magazines I had dropped on the beach, and sat there pretending to read it. She would occasionally glance over at us, and it seemed to me that each glance looked a little sadder than the last. Suddenly, this whole idea of 'snagging' the guys from Sunny didn't seem so much fun anymore, and I just wanted to go over and apologize. But when I tried to stand up, I took two steps before stumbling over my own hooves, and fell face first into the sand.

"Daffey, you ok?" Seaspray asked, helping me back up.

"Yes, I'll be fine, thank you." I replied nervously, blushing in my embarrassment. Ohhh, why couldn't I have worn my glasses out today?

"Hey girls, I got an idea!" Bechcomber suddenly sprang up, trotting over to his surfboard. "Why don't we take you out on our boards, and show you some fun in the sun?"

"Hey, that sounds totally awesome!" Beach Belle agreed, following Bay over to his board. "You guys to totally teach us how to surf!"

"Hang on a sec, I'll be right with you guys." Galloping away from Seaspray for a moment, I ran up to where Miss Daze lay. "Hey Sunny want to join us out on the waves? You could show those guys your stuff!"

"Huh? Oh no, you go ahead and enjoy yourselves, Daffs." She told me, burying her face in her magazine. "I'd just probably get in those dudes' way."

"Oh, okay Sunny." I reply with a sigh, trotting back over to where the guys were getting ready to push out into the water. Soon, we were out on lake Ponyville, paddling with our hooves, and waiting for a wave to come up.

"Look out, everybody!" Bay Breeze suddenly warned. "Here comes a big one!"

And boy diary, he wasn't kidding! That doozy of a wave came up out of nowhere, and soon our boards were cresting the top of it. It kind of felt like flying, diary, with my arms outstretched, and Seaspray's big strong hooves holding me in place. It was times like this I envied the Pegasus, for being able to do things like this where there are no waves around.

"Whoo hoo!" Beach Belle called out, as Bay breeze held her aloft on his board. "I'm the queen of the world!"

"Hey Daffey!" Shappire yelled over to me from Beachcomber's board. "Betcha can't do this!"

The mare did a handstand on her stallion friend's hoof, showing off as he zigzagged across the waves. Seaspray suddenly motioned for me to do the same, and I wasn't so sure it was a good idea.

"Spray, wait a second." I protested, just trying to keep my balance. "I'm not so sure-"

"C'mon babe!" He assured me, as he picked me up. "It'll be fun, trust me!"

Before I could say another word, he had me lifted up over his head. Oh diary, why do all stallions have to be so pig-headed and stubborn? Needless to say, this blind-as-a-bat mare lost her balance up there, and I fell into the wave itself with a loud splash. "Daffey!" I head several voices at once call out, as I sank beneath the roaring waves.

Now diary, you know as well as I do that I learned how to swim as a foal. But a combination of the really strong tides- combined with my panic at being able to see even less in that dark and murky water- led me to panic and flail around like a panicked newborn, as the waves continued to toss me around like Scootaloo during a game of dodge ball. I thought it was all over, when a white hoof suddenly picked me up, and placed me on a surfboard.

"Gotcha, Daffs!" Sunny groaned, as she helped me up to my hooves. "You need to be more careful out there!"

"Sunny?" I ask, coughing and sputtering out water. "T-thanks, girlfriend. I owe ya one."

It only took a few minutes for us to ride that wave back to shore, and the others crowded in to see if we were alright.

"Daffey, you ok?" Beach Belle asked, her hooves on her cheeks in surprise. "I thought for sure you were gonna drown out there!"

"Glad ya made it back, Daff! You're looking as awesome as ever!" Sapphire giggled, trying to lighten the mood now that she saw I was okay. "Can't say the same for your hairdo, though."

Seaspray was especially the most concerned... with the way my dear friend had saved me, that is. After making sure I was all right, he trotted right past me, and went over to Sunny like I wasn't even there.

"Hey, babe. You were so totally awesome out there!" The featherbrained stallion slicked his mane back, as he trotted up to Sunny. "Wanna go grab a soda at Cotton Candy's sometime?"

"Dude, that would be so totally awesome!" Sunny giggled, brushing her own hoof through her mane. "You're buying though, dude! My rule is 'the hottie always picks up the tab!"

The two stood there, flirting and laughing as I coughed and sputtered in the background. My beautiful mane job was now a seaweed-infested mess, and my running makeup made me look like something that had walked out of a Halloween movie. With a sigh, I realized I was probably as attractive as a goblin right now.

"Hey Daffs, we're all heading over to the cafe right now." Sapphire told me, as the others began trotting away. "Ya wanna come with?"

"Nah, I'm a little tired out after all that." I replied with a sigh. "You guys go ahead, I think I'm gonna go home."

As the others all galloped away down the beach, I'm left to collect my stuff up. Well diary, I suppose this is exactly what I get for trying to outshine the great Sunny Daze. Still, in the limelight has always been our dear friend's place, and I guess we Ponyville ponies wouldn't have it any other way. Even if she is little miss popular, she always does mean well. Besides, if it weren't for her, I probably would have been swept out with the tide.

Well diary, I just got done packing my things up, and pulling the seaweed out of my hair. As I told the others, I'm very tired, and it's time to head for home. I will say though, I am glad I was able to help two of my friends... even if my day off was all washed up.

But still, a crab hanging off my tail, sand in my Bikini bottom... diary, next day off, I am so going to the park.


End file.
